1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to sockets ideal for use with a discharge lamp to be operated in a low-temperature atmosphere and more particularly to sockets for a discharge lamp so constructed as to permit easy replacement of a discharge lamp.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The discharge lamps, especially fluorescent discharge lamps, have been extensively used for general-purpose illumination because they are characterized by enjoying relatively rich luminous energy for small power consumption as compared with incandescent lamps.
The fluorescent discharge lamps which are in popular use are retained in place by having base pins thereof applied fast to the electrodes in the sockets disposed one each at the opposite ends of the lamps. The electric power is supplied via these electrodes to the fluorescent discharge lamps.
When these fluorescent discharge lamps are used in a low-temperature atmosphere, however, they do not produce the desirable illumination which is obtained when they are used under usual conditions. When they are inevitably used in such an adverse atmosphere as described above, therefore, they are usually covered with a pipe capable of keeping them in a warmed state and consequently enabling them to produce the desirable illumination. To be specific, in the covered fluorescent discharge lamps, the heat evolved by the lamps themselves lends itself to elevating the temperature inside the pipes. When a fluorescent discharge lamp is covered with a pipe of this nature, the sockets now in popular use render extremely irksome the replacement of this lamp with a new supply. This is because the replacement requires the fluorescent discharge lamp to be removed simultaneously with the pipe.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention, conceived with the objective of overcoming the problems of the prior art mentioned above, aims to provide sockets for a fluorescent discharge lamp which, when the fluorescent discharge lamp is in need of replacement with a new supply, permit the replacement to be carried out easily.
To accomplish the object described above, the sockets for a discharge lamp according to this invention each comprise a base-admitting part for admitting a base of the discharge lamp, a pipe-setting part formed on the outer peripheral surface of the base-admitting part and adapted to allow insertion therein of a pipe for keeping the discharge lamp in a warmed state and protecting it against impacts, and electrode pin inserting parts formed on a flat surface wall of the base-admitting part and adapted to permit insertion therein of electrode pins protruding from the base of the discharge lamp and simultaneously allow penetration of the electrode pins in the outer side of the flat wall of the base-admitting part.
The electrode pin-inserting parts are insertion mouths having apertures formed therein in a diameter smaller than or equal to the diameter of the electrode pins protruding from the base of the discharge lamp. To be more specific, the electrode pin-inserting parts each comprise an insertion mouth having a hole or aperture formed therein of a diameter smaller than or equal to the diameter of the electrode pins protruding from the base of the discharge lamp and diameter-enlarging notches extended radially from the insertion mouths and adapted to facilitate enlargement of the diameters of the insertion mouths.
Further, the sockets for a fluorescent discharge lamp according with the present invention each have a socket proper comprising a base-admitting part for admitting a base of the discharge lamp, a pipe-setting part formed on the outer peripheral surface of the base-admitting part and adapted to allow insertion therein of a pipe for keeping the discharged lamp in a warmed state and protecting it against impacts, electrode pin-inserting parts formed on a flat surface wall of the base-admitting part and adapted to permit insertion therein of electrode pins protruding from the base of the discharge lamp and simultaneously allow penetration of the electrode pins in the outer side of the flat surface wall of the base-admitting part, and a current-carrying adapter-retaining part formed outside the flat surface wall and intended to retain in place a current-carrying adapter serving to supply to the discharge lamp the electric power from an external power source via the electrode pins protruding outwardly from the flat surface wall, the current-carrying adapter being provided with power supply electrodes for electrically connecting the external power source to the electrode pins when the current-carrying adapter is retained in place by the current-carrying adapter retaining part of the socket proper, and the current-carrying adapter-retaining part being provided with electrode pressing members serving to press the power supply electrodes against the electrode pins when the current-carrying adapter is retained by the current-carrying adapter-retaining part.
Since the electrode pin-inserting parts, for allowing insertion therein of the electrode pins protruding from the base of the discharge lamp when the discharge lamp is admitted in the base-admitting part, are formed in the flat surface wall of the base-admitting part of the socket proper, the insertion of the electrode pins into the electrode pin-inserting parts causes the socket proper to be retained by the discharge lamp. When the current-carrying adapter is inserted into the current-carrying adapter-retaining part of the socket proper in the ensuant state thereof, the power supply electrodes provided for the current-carrying adapter are pressed against the electrode pins by the electrode-pressing members provided for the current-carrying adapter-retaining part. As a result, the power supply to the discharge lamp by the external power source can be accomplished. The method for attachment of the socket proper in a case such as a show window will be omitted from the following description.